Slacker & Steve's Blog

OPP: Too Young For The Gym?

by Slacker And Steve,posted Sep 7 2012 4:30PM

Yi!!!

Exercise is good for you at any age, but today’s OPP wants to know if her daughter is taking it too far.

Yi! My 10-year-old daughter has gained a little bit of weight over the past year. Her doctor says she is perfectly healthy, and it's nothing to worry about – she's due for a growth spurt, but she is a little chubbier than her friends and it's really upsetting to her. She has been hounding her father and me for a gym membership, but I think she is way too young. I told her she should join a sport or take up dance, but she is adamant about the gym. I want to instill the importance of exercise to her, but I just don't think a gym membership is the answer. What should I do? I don't want to discourage her interest in being healthy, but I don't know how to handle the situation. What would you do?

Thanks in advance for the advice,
Vanessa

Slacker’s really torn on this one. There are so many kids that don’t fell this way. They want fast food and video games. There’s 2 times in your life when you can make more fat cells. One period is when you’re a teenager and the other time is when, as a woman, you are pregnant. Right now, if Steve was to gain weight, he would just make his existing fat cells bigger. If you’re in one of those periods, you make more fat cells to absorb the extra intake. Yes, being aware of it is a good thing. But should she be worried about it at 10 years old?

Steve’s not sure either. For her to be conscious of this fact is a positive thing. If you’re trying to be hotter or socially accepted, that’s no good. Does she not want to be the girl who gets ridiculed by her peers? The guys have a ton of questions for this mom, but she didn’t leave a number.

Steve’s been in a gym once. He poked his head in and looked around and didn’t see any 10 year olds. Don’t your parents have to be there? She would have to the Y or the Rec. Center
What is your advice to Vanessa and her daughter?
Applaud her for being health conscious. Absolutely do that. Find out what the root of this concern is. Are her parents huge and she sees that or hears it from other kids? Obesity is a very real epidemic in this country. We want instant gratification. Food is no exception and quite frankly has culturally changed the world’s perspective of us as Americans. If we don’t get our food from a chain in less than 5 minutes, we expect it to be free! Italians find it offensive if you take less than 2 hours to eat a meal. They would be insulted and ask you to never return. Seriously! Just sound like there needs to be a bit more digging to get to the real reason. Bulimia is on the horizon if this girl does not get this addressed!